Captain Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) attached to 4th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. Killed in action 24 April 1915. Aged 38. Son of John Dearman Birchall, of Bowden Hall, Gloucester; brother of Edward (below). Selected prior to the war for work on the Instructional Staff in Canada. No known grave. Commemorated on MENIN GATE MEMORIAL, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Panel 6 and 8.

Extract from De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918, Volume 1, Page 34-35:

BIRCHALL, ARTHUR PERCIVAL DEARMAN, Lieut.-Col. Commanding 4th Battn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, and Capt. Royal Fusiliers, 2nd s. of the late J . . . Dearman Birchall, of Bowden Hall, co. Gloucester, by his wife, Emily, dau. of John Towitt, of Harehills, Leeds ; b. Bowden Hall, 7 March, 1877, and was educ. at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford. He obtained a University Commission, being gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.), 23 May, 1900, and was promoted Lieut. 11 April, 1902, Capt. 1 Oct. 1908, Major, and Lieut.-Col. 22 Sept. 1914. From 25 March, 1904, to 24 March, 1907, he was Adjutant of the Royal Fusiliers, and on 15 April, 1910, was seconded for service with the Royal Canadian Regiment, and later he was on the Instructional Staff, Western Canada. In Aug. 1914, he was invalided home from Canada, but recovered sufficiently to rejoin the 1st Canadian Contingent in Nov and acted as Staff Capt. to the 1st Brigade. Always popular and a keen and most efficient officer he was appointed to the colonelcy of the 4th Canadians in February. and was killed in action in the attack on the Pilkem Ridge, near Ypres, 23 April, 1915 ; unm. Speaking of this action F. M. Sir John French said : " The Canadians had many casualties, but their gallantry and determination undoubtedly saved the situation. Their conduct has been magnificent throughout" ; and the Official Report from the Canadian Record Officer at the Front was as follows : " The fighting continued without intermission all through the night, and to those who observed the indications that the attack was being pushed with ever-growing strength, It hardly seemed possible that the Canadians, fighting in positions so difficult to defend, and so little the subject of deliberate choice, could maintain their resistance for any long period. At 6 a.m. on Friday (April 23) it became apparent that the left was becoming more and more involved, and a powerful German attempt to outflank it developed rapidly. The consequences, if it had been broken or outflanked, need not be insisted upon. They were not merely local. It was therefore decided, formidable as the attempt undoubtedly was, to try and give relief by a counterattack upon the first line of German trenches, now far, far advanced from those originally occupied by the French. This was carried out by the Ontario 1st and 4th Battns. of the 1st Brigade, under Brig.-Gen. Mercer, acting in combination with a British brigade. It is safety say that the youngest private in the ranks, as he set his teeth for the advance, knew the task in front of him, and the youngest subaltern knew that all rested upon its success. It did not seem that any human being could live In the shower of shot and shell which began to play upon the advancing troops. They suffered terrible casualties. For a short time every other man seemed to fall, but the attack was pressed ever closer and closer. The 4th Canadian Battn. at one moment came under a particularly withering fire. For a moment—not more—it wavered. Its most gallant commanding officer, Lieut.-Col. Birchall, carrying, after an old fashion, a light cane, coolly and cheerfully rallied his men, and, at the very moment when his example had infected them, fell dead at the head of his battn. With a hoarse cry of anger they sprang forward (for, indeed, they loved him) as if to avenge his death. The astonishing attack which followed, pushed home in direct frontal fire made in broad daylight, by battns. whose names should live for ever in the memories of soldiers, was carried to the first line of German trenches. After a hand-to-hand struggle the last German who resisted was bayoneted, and the trench was won. The measure of this success may be taken when it is pointed out that this trench represented in the German advance the apex in the breach which the enemy had made in the original line of the Allies, and that it was 2½ miles south of that line. This charge, made by men who looked death indifferently in the face—for no man who took part in it could think that he was likely to live—saved, and that was much, the Canadian left. But it did more. Up to the point where the assailants conquered or died, it secured and maintained during the most critical moment of all the integrity of the Allied line. For the trench was not only taken, it was held thereafter against all comers, and in the teeth of every conceivable projectile, until the night of Sunday, the 25th, when all that remained of the war-broken, but victorious battns. was relieved by fresh troops." Major R. Hayter, Brigade-Major, 1st Canadian Brigade wrote : "Your brother, Percy, fell on the 23rd, leading his battn. in the first Canadian counter-attack on the 23rd made by the French, British, and 1st and 4th Canadian battns., just east of the Ypres Canal. His battn. lost all its officers but four, and some 560 casualties other ranks, but they never wavered and got into the enemy's line, saved the day, and prevented the enemy's advance south along the east bank of the canal. We are still being desperately engaged, and I cannot write much, but I am sure you will be glad to hear that he has been recommended for the Victoria Cross. He was wounded, had his wound dressed, twas wounded again, yet would go on, and fell, leading the charge which took the trenches. . . . I had a written message from him timed 4.20 p.m. acknowledging an order, and I hope some day to be able to give it to you. His loss has been the greatest blow the contingent could have had. Loved by all, and worshipped by his officers and men, we feel that it was his personal magnetism alone which kept his regt. together, and enabled them to hold what they had gained. All our deepest sympathies are with you and your family, but his end could not have been more glorious " ; and the following tribute from an old friend appeared in " The Times " (29 April, 1915) : " The claim to have been the most popular officer in the Army is a large one, and may be advanced In the name of many a candidate. But it is probable that all who in any true sense had made Birchall's acquaintance will claim that no officer could have been more deeply, and probably none more widely, beloved and admired. At Eton, at Magdalen, and for fifteen years in the Army, he was for ever winning to himself friends by the simple but irresistible charm of his nature—by his manliness and sportsmanship, his humour and high spirits, his enthusiasm for his profession as in general for the better things of life. Joining the newly-formed 4th Battn. of the Royal Fusiliers during the South African War, as a university candidate, he became closely identified with its fortunes for some ten years; and he was largely responsible for raising it to the high level of the older battns. of that famous regt. Beloved alike by his brother officers and men, he was equally prominent as a leader in soldiering and in sport : in the field of manoeuvre as in the football, the hockey, the hunting, but especially the cricket field he always played a fine sporting game. After ably fulfilling the second adjutancy of his battn., he received the singular distinction of being selected—one of two officers from the whole Army—to be attached to the Canadian Forces, according to a scheme for the mutual benefit of both services. In Canada, he inevitably won through to the same affectionate and admiring popularity as at home. His period of appointment was extended, he was appointed to the Staff, and was given an almost transcontinental district of supervision. 'The characteristic energy which he threw into this work in the unaccustomed climate caused a temporary breakdown in his health, and hitter was his grief, on returning to England, shortly before the outbreak of war, to find himself entirely forbidden on medical grounds to take for the present the share in active service for which he had keenly prepared and eminently fitted himself. To such advantage, however. did he make use of his time, even of sickness, that, in the intervals of being visited by a constant stream of devoted friends from two continents, he compiled the admirable little manual for the use of regimental officers in the present emergency training, which he entitled " Rapid Training of a Company for War" (Gale & Polden, Aldershot). This book rapidly attained a wide success, and was brought up to date in a second (and subsequent) edition, just as he himself, recently promoted to Major, was appointed first a Staff Captain in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and in immediate succession given command of the 4th Canadian Infantry a few days before it sailed for the front." Col. Birchall resided at Saintbridge House, Gloucester His brother, Capt. J. Dearman Birchall is (1916) serving with the Royal Gloucestershire's Hussars Yeomanry.

Captain, Buckinghamshire Battalion (Territorial), Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Died of wounds 10 August 1916. Aged 32. Son of John Dearman Birchall and Emily Birchall, of Bowden Hall, Gloucester; brother of Arthur (above). Awarded ther Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.). In the 1911 census he was aged 26, living on private means, born Upton St. Leonards, Gloucestershire, resident Saintbridge House near Gloucester, Upton St Leonards, Gloucestershire. Buried in ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot I. Row B. Grave 42.

Extract from The Distinguished Service Order Vol. III, page 206:

BIRCHALL, E.V.D. (D.S.O. L.G. 25.8.16) Capt., Oxf. and Bucks. L.I. His D.S.O. was awarded for services on 23.7.1916, Pozieres. He died of wounds 10.8.16.

Extracts from The London Gazette 25 August 1916:

London Gazette, 25 Aug. 1916.- " War Office, 25 Aug. 1916. His Majesty the King has been gracioudy pleased to approve of the appointment of the undermentioned Officers to be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order, in recognition of their gallantry and devotion to duty in the field."

BIRCHALL, EDWARD VIVIAN DEARMAN, Capt., Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in action. He led forward his company with great dash under heavy fire, entered the enemy's trenches, and, though dangerously wounded, refused any assistance till assured that the position won was firmly held.

Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, Prince Of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment). Died on service 25 January 1916. Born 6 November 1891. In the 1901 census he was aged 9, born Kennington, Surrey, son of patrick T and Alice E Evans, resident 54, Longridge Road, Kensington, London & Middlesex. In the 1911 census he was aged 19, born Kensington, London, a studdent visiting at Parkhurst, Haslemere, Lurgashall, Sussex. Buried North-West of Church in HARPLEY (ST. BARTHOLOMEW) CHURCHYARD, Worcestershire. See also Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey and also Trinity College, Cambridge University

Extract from England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1916:

EVANS Rupert Ancrum of 54 Longridge-road Earl's Court Middlesex second-lieutenant 3rd West Yorkshire (Prince of Wales' Own) regiment died 25 January 1916 at Whitley Bay Northumberland Administration London 8 August Alice Emily Evans widow. Effects £8829 5s. 2d
Resworn £8809. 7s. 0d. Further spent 29 January 1937.

IN MEMORY OF THOSE
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Major IA/89, Probyn's Horse (5th King Edward's Own Lancers), I.A.C. Died 7 October 1944. Aged 44. Son of Col. R. A. E. Benn and Mrs. Benn; husband of Dorothy Mary Benn, of Lyonshall, Herefordshire. Married Dotrothy M Benn in 1937 in the Westminster Registration District, London. No known grave. Commemorated on RANGOON MEMORIAL, Mynmar (Burma). Face 20.

Extract from Probate Calendars of England & Wales 1945:

BENN Lawrence Molyneux Herbert of Black and White House Upton St. Leonards Gloucestershire died 7 October 1944 on war service Probate Birmingham 17 September to Dorothy Mary Benn widow. Effects £501 5s. 5d.